“There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42 (NLT) The heart of this ministry is to inspire a love for God’s Word and encourage the discipline of daily Bible reading and SOAP journaling. These are a few of our SOAP notes from today’s reading. We encourage you to read and journal on your own first, then join us in conversation about what God revealed to YOU today. Click HERE to go directly to the daily reading if you wish.
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A Short Poem On Suffering
What an honor and privilege to suffer with Jesus this way.
He faced desolation, condemnation, betrayal, and ridicule when He faced the cross.
I have faced those things and sometimes face them now in my home.
He sees, He knows the spiritual battle I’m fighting in my home that no one sees or no one knows.
He will care for my kids – because they are more His kids than mine. They are holy, because I am holy.
Jesus was separated from God to conquer sin.
Because He did this, I will never be apart from my Father in my deepest suffering.
He is always there – fighting for me and protecting me.
Thank You for this suffering for the mist of a moment.
I know You are preparing me well for eternity!
My Way Or Yours? | Kim Chipman
S~ When Israel became strong, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor but never drove them out completely. Judges 1:28 (NIV)
O~ My study Bible says, “Tribe after tribe failed to drive the evil Canaanites from their land. Why didn’t they follow through and completely obey God’s commands? 1. They had been fighting for a long time and were tired. Although the goal was in sight, they lacked the discipline and energy to reach it. 2. They were afraid the enemy was too strong – the iron chariots seemed invincible. 3. After Joshua’s death, power and authority were decentralized to tribal leaders, and the tribes were no longer united in purpose. 4. Spiritual decay had infected them from within. They thought they could handle the temptation and be more prosperous by doing business with the Canaanites.
We, too, often choose to tolerate sin rather than drive it from our lives. We may know what to do but just don’t follow through. This results in a gradual deterioration of our relationship with God. In our battles we may grow tired and want to rest, but we need more than a break from our work. We need to know God loves us and has given us a purpose for life. Victory comes from living according to His purpose, willing to fully obey Him.”
A~ Holy moly. I feel like this describes my heart perfectly. I’ve been fighting a long time and although the goal is in sight I’ve been lacking the discipline and energy to reach it. I think I can handle temptation and still be prosperous. I have been tolerating sin rather than driving it from my life. I know what to do but haven’t been following through. This is leading to a gradual deterioration of my relationship with God. There it is, in a nutshell. Kind of like a 2×4 to the side of the head, actually.
Life is really good right now. I’m not drowning. From the waist up I’m doing great. In the deep down places I’ve just been struggling.
There are some sins I need to stop tolerating and thinking I can control because it is affecting our relationship. It just is. I need to choose You above all other things. Relentlessly. Focus. Surrendered. I need to live Your way, not mine.
P~ Oh Lord I love You so much. I know You see my heart, my struggles and my intentions. Help me to remember this revelation when I’m out of this chair and in my life. Give me the strength and discipline to choose well. I love You!
It’s God’s Party, Not Mine! | Joni Tyner
S~ Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with—even when it seems they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently.
For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume he should only be a vegetarian and eat accordingly.
But since both are guests at Christ’s table, wouldn’t it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn’t eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing them off the guest list or interfering with God’s welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help.” Romans 14:1-4 The Message. (I emphasized a couple parts!)
O~ I did a bit of research on The Message Bible. It was written by Eugene Peterson after feeling like his adult Sunday school class failed to understand the scripture they were using. He primary goal was to give fellow Christians “fresh eyes” to familiar scripture. He also wanted nonbelievers to pick up the Bible and read it, almost like a story.
A/P~ Dear Lord, please help me to not be prideful and a “know it all”. You are God, I.AM.NOT. I ask for discernment as I interact with people. I don’t want to shy away from my faith, but I don’t want my actions to EVER cross a name off of Your guest list.
Our team would love the privilege of praying for you! Please share how we can lift you in prayer at prayer@DiscoverOneThing.com
Discover One Thing 
“I don’t want my actions to EVER cross a name off of Your guest list.” Wow, Joni! That really hits home. Not only do we aspire to to live out The Great Commission, but we had better check ourselves to be sure we are not the reason anyone should go astray or be deterred from putting their trust in Him. Sobering, actually. Thank you, Kim and Joni, for putting your honest hearts out there.
These posts are exactly what my heart needed to hear today! Thank you for sharing! Love you girls!